Securing Your Floating Shade Against Bad Weather
Oftentimes, when people see pictures of a shade canopy floating on the water with the Water-Shade, they assume it will topple over with the slightest disturbance and sink their canopy. However, looks can be deceiving as the Water-Shade is designed to keep your canopy safe on the water. The major concern people have about the canopy is.. can it withstand wind or bad weather?
Well, the short answer is YES!
The water shade was designed by boaters, for boaters! It comes with an anchoring tether that allows you to tie the canopy to your boat or to the shore. You can also tie the anchoring tether to an affordable mushroom anchor for an additional level of security (see details below). It's also worth mentioning that the floating rings are made of heavy duty vinyl so they will easily withstand heavy outdoor use.
Remember... EVERY Canopy Needs Protection From Wind!
Regardless of where you are setting up your canopy, battling the wind is a challenge - even on dry land. The same precautions you take on land to protect your canopy can and SHOULD be taken while the canopy is on the water.
Typically, people remove the canopy’s cloth when they spot a storm or strong wind coming. This same tactic is also easy to execute while the canopy is floating on the water - and just as effective.
In extreme weather, it may be necessary to completely collapse the canopy. Luckily, collapsing the canopy on water is actually easier and quicker than it is on land.
On land, two to four people will be needed to collapse the canopy - one person at each leg moving towards the center in unison. Meanwhile, when the canopy is deployed on water, just ONE person can take down the canopy easily. This is because the floating platforms move towards the center much easily without the friction of the ground, so one person can handle all four legs.
Once you spot the wind, you alone can remove the cloth off the frame in less than 2 minutes and collapse the frames all by yourself.
Did you know that it is easier to collapse a canopy on water than on land?
Using a Mushroom Anchor to Secure your Floating Shade Canopy
If you're not sure that a strong tether and a little preparedness can prevent your canopy from sinking, there are extra precautions you can take!
You can use a mushroom anchor to anchor the boat in shallow water. A mushroom anchor is an affordable, lightweight anchor that is used to anchor small fishing boats and dinghies. It works best in places with mud or sand. It is very effective when and attaches easily to the anchoring tether included in the Water-Shade kit.
You Can Also Utilize the Wind Anchor Kit from Water-Shade to Further Secure Your Canopy.
We recommend you buy the wind anchor kit alongside the Water-Shade and the mushroom anchor. It is reliable, efficient, portable and an effective way to add extra protection from wind.
The wind anchor kit is a set of 4 water-tight bags that attach to the bottom of the Water-Shade's floating platforms. They work by filling up with water to add weight to the bottom of the floating platforms. The bags hold enough water to add approximately 25 lbs of anchoring weight to the platforms. These bags alone are usually enough to protect from most wind storms.
How Do You Set Up the Water Shade Wind Anchor Kit?
Setting up the water shade anchor kit is so simple that it can be done by a child! The anchor kit comes with four anchor wind bags and a tether. Here are the steps to set it up;
- Simply attach the bag to the bottom of the floating Water-Shade platforms.
- Thread the three chords through the bottom of the ring and clip it to the center pin of the Water-Shade platforms one after the other.
- Attach the platforms with the attached bags to your canopy.
- Once you are sure the bag is secure, place the floating pad and the bag on the water with the bag submerged.
- Let the bag fill up with water. The bag can hold about 5 lbs of water. As a result, the water in the bag will add the much-needed weight to help secure the water shade against the wind.
- Finally, make sure to use the tether to secure the canopy to your boat, a submerged mushroom anchor, or a platform on shore (or all three!).
Conclusion
If you're looking to have a fun time on the water, then getting a water shade floating canopy and its anchor kit is a sure-fire way to have an amazing day at the lake!
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